Nursing Strike

Or "Boob Strike" as daddy calls it. Yesterday was the day that we decided to dig our heals in, grit our teeth and hold on for dear life until Isabel took a bottle. I nursed her at 10:30am and a few hours later (before she got hungry again) I took off for a nice long swim, some sunning time, lunch at one of my favorite cafes in the Sonoma Plaza, and then enjoyed the fresh smell of the Sonoma Plaza greens while I read up on some journal articles. I popped in at home for a quick bit to change cars and then was off again vacuuming out the SUV and doing some much needed grocery shopping. When I finally came home at about 6pm I was expecting to hear Isabel screaming as soon as I pulled into the driveway & be greeted by a daddy ready to pull his hair out. What I came home to was a calm and collected husband and a chearful little baby who still hadn't taken a bottle all day long but was playing happily. Instead of getting fussy when she saw me (what I thought would happen) she just gave me a huge smile and continued to try and figure out the best way to slobber all over her toys. I proceded to cook dinner (Dave's favorite because he is such a rock star daddy!) and dad tried to give her a bottle again when she got fussy. He patiently held her, rocked her, took her to the sliding door, into a dark room, walked around the house... but our little stinker baby must know that she has enough fat reserves to outlast mom and dad! By 9:30pm (11 hours after her last feeding!) I gave in and put her on the boob. I knew that we both needed sleep. As I was holding her close I realized that I hadn't held her almost all day long and I almost started to cry! I began wondering if it was all really worth it... do I really need to sub this fall? Could I maybe tutor instead so I don't have to be gone for 8hrs at a time? Maybe she will take a sippy cup by early September... I looked at my little angel baby and felt so guilty for withholding nourishment and sustenance from her - well actually she had it right in front of her, but was just too stubborn to take it! She is definitely a Fraley/Perez/Casillas! But as my Tia Olivia reminded me, so am I! If I really want her to take a bottle then we can make it happen. We're the parents and can't let our lives be run by a 4 month old! Yet she totally runs our lives, and I love every minute of it :-)